Into the Dark
by peanut0565
Summary: One must go Into the Dark to get through to the Light
1. Chapter 1

**Into the Dark.**

-------------------------------------------------------- 

"Tony...Tony!" Jack called through his wired piece that connected him to CTU. Tony was running the operation back at CTU. More static entered his ear. He hissed in frustration, taking the connection piece off and throwing it on the ground.

It was raining. Hard. It had been all day. Jack looked around hastily catching his breathe and searching for the suspect on the harbor he supposably had cornered him into. It was dark out, so much so that Jack had to use his flashlight to look where he was going. He scanned the harbor intentively looking at all the boats there.

Finally he reached the last boat, which was a small speed boat he assumed. As soon as he reached it the motor started on it, he jerked the flashlight over to where the motor was, and sure enough there was his suspect. The suspect hadnt seen Jack yet, at least Jack didnt think he did, he was just trying to get away quickly. The boat started moving away from the docks. Jack huffed under his breathe, he hated boats. He then ran towards the edge of the docks and jumped towards the boat. Just barely making it and toppling all over the suspect. 

Jack hadnt realized that the suspect was armed with a hunting knife. The suspect was on top of him now, readying to stab Jack. Jack struggled from underneath, but the day was starting to ware on him now, between all the chases. It all had exhausted him more then he cared to admit. The suspect then pushed the knife into Jacks' lower back, just left of his spinal cord, making Jack yelp in agony. He struggled more, just enough for the wound to make itself worse because the knife was still embedded in him, as he threw the suspect off him finally.

The suspect edged backwards towards the steering wheel then. Jack slowly stumbled to his feet, gasping in agony as he searched for the knife in his back. Finally he grabbed it, and in another agonized shreak he pulled it out of himself with blunt force. He dropped the knife to the ground, and looked around through the heavy rain. He could barely see his hand infront of him, let alone the suspect. He moved forward in attempt to look for the suspect when a roar of thunder erupted from the sky. Jack got a quick glance at the suspect, he was pulling something out by the steering wheel. Jack pulled out his other and last gun he had on him and pointed it at where the suspect was, though he couldnt really see through the darkness and the haze of the storm. He waited then for another flash of lightning so he could have the final position of the suspect before he fired.

Finally after several seconds the thunder roared from the sky, as the lightning flashed from the sky. The suspect was also waiting for this moment as they were staring at each other with a cold stare without even realizing they were right infront of each other. Jack fired instantly as the suspect did. Jack emptied the whole clip into the suspects' body with deadly accuracy. The suspect was only able to get one bullet to pierce Jacks' right shoulder joint, but that was after all the bullets had entered the suspects' body. Jack hissed in pain, letting his gun drop, but keeping his eyes on the suspect or where he had been, it had gone dark again. Another flash of lightning appeared followed by a thunder clap, which Jack watched in satisfication as the suspect had dropped like a fly, dead.

Jack then fell to his knees, unable to keep standing. He crawled to the end of the boat where the motor was. He fingered it trying to turn it off, but he knew nothing about boats. After a few minutes in frustration and the waves getting increasingly more violent, making him slide around a bit. He finally resorted to kicking and punching the dam motor, he was to exhausted and in too much pain to think rationally anymore.

The motor finally stopped, but the waves of the ocean were crashing into the small speed boat repeatively, a few times knocking Jack off his feet, but he regained just as quickly in sear determination. He scanned the small area of which he could walk for somewhere to take cover, but there was none, it was just a speed boat. He was hit with another large wave, which sent him reeling back onto his back. He yelped in pain as he aggravated his stab wound again, as the boat rocked and he slide to the other end. Hitting his head hard on the slide and almost flipping over the edge but he managed to get a decent enough grip on the ledge to keep him from falling overboard. He coughed up more water as he just clung to the side, looking down at himself which was drenched in watered down blood, coming from the stab wound in his lower back, and the few scratchs from the knife that the suspect had handled expertly. He looked out as another large wave crashed into the boat, making more water hit him with full force. He saw a clearing after that wave, or a clearer view of where he was, the storm was still strong as ever, but he got a decent look at the area around him with a clap of thunder then through the darkness, to see he was in the middle of no where. He was alone and worst of all lost at sea.

--------------------------------------------------------

It had been about 2 days since the storm had stopped. The waves had gone from dangerous down to a calm rocking. The speed boat was barely holding together, the floor of the boat was covered in a thin layer of water. It was surrounded by miles and miles of water. It had drifted further and further away from the coast line, and was in international waters by now.

Jack was laying half in and half out of the boat, bent over the side. He had been unconcious since the storm, and hasnt awaken yet. His head and upper torso hanged limply over the boat to the point where the top of his head was hitting the water, at least the tips of his hair, and his shoulder with the bullet wound, the arm hang over the edge of the boat as well, the hand half in the water, and watered down blood running slowly down his arm. The other arm was bent backwards in a non-breaking way, laying in an uncomfortable position against the side of the boat, the palm facing outwards towards the other edge of the boat. His legs were stretched out slightly along the floor of the boat. Watered down blood dripped around the area of which he was laying, and along his body. His skin was ghostly pale, and his still form, most would think he was dead.

A coast guard boat was passing by on its routine route when it came apon the speed boat, once they had gotten a decent look at it they saw Jack. They had realized who it was and that CTU was looking for him. They hulled him on board immediatly, and did what they could on the boat with the tools they had whilst the boat was redirected for the coast and headed back as fast as they could. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"Theyve found him" Chloe said through the phone to Skyelark, the CTU director.

"And!" Skyelark was impatiently waiting for her to give him the rest of the messenge, knowing there was more. She had been basically pacing the CTU building for the last 2 days waiting for any word of Jack. Though she didnt want to reveal her feelings about him to her collegues, or the fact that they had been going out for the last 6 months. She knew at some level they all knew, the whole building was so gossip filled. Though her and Jack had both been trying to keep it a low profile. The cover was blown when Jack had gone missing with the suspect as well.

"The ambulence just took him from the coast guard to St. Marys' hostipal" Chloe continued.

"Okay, um. Im gonna take off for a few hours..." She said quietly then hung up the phone, heading out of her office and down the steps. Her worry hadnt subsided, though it was slightly comforting to know that he was AT LEAST alive. She hadnt noticed on her way to the exit Tony and Michelle had both meet up with her.

"Chloe told us the Coast Guard found Jack" Tony said.

"Yea, Im going to the hostipal now" She said, moving into the parking lot. 

"Were coming with you" Michelle informed her. 

"No...You guys should stay here, its bad enough that the director is going. Someone will have to make sure the others do their work" Skyelark said looking at them.

"Chloe's still there, she can make sure they do the reports. Plus its been quiet there anyways" Tony smirked.

"Alright..." She sighed heavily, knowing full well she wouldnt be able to continue this arguement and win.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack clung to the edge of the boat for dear life as the waves crashed over and over on him, during the breaks between the waves he would cough some water out, gasping for air, and shiver. Thunder roared through the area, and lightning clapped every few seconds bringing some light into his dark world.

Finally a monsterous wave, tidal wave, hit him hard enough for him to loose his grip, he was pushed deep under water by the wave. He half gasped letting in alot of water into his lungs then struggled to find the surface again. For a minute or so he didnt think he would reach the surface again, then finally his hand pushed out from the water, into the air as he got his head above water, coughing alot and gasping for air. Pain sizzled through out his body as he treaded water, looking for the boat. It was no where to be seen, even when the lightning lighted the area it was no where to be seen. He looked for something to grab out of fear.

"Come back to me jack" Skyelarks' voice could be heard, coming from where he didnt know, but she was near by.

"Skyelark! Where are you!" He tried to call out but the yell was cut short by another wave, pushing his head and body under water.

"Jack please...I need you" He heard again once he resurfaced again. 

"Where are you! Its too dark here!" Jack called out trying to keep his head above water, part of his mind said to just let it go, let everything go, go to the darkness, the pain will go away, and another part of his head screamed in protest, he needed to get to Skyelark, she needed him, and he needed her. And that side was overpowering the other right now.

"Skyelark!" He called again, but there was no answer, just crying. He could hear her crying.

"Skyelark!" He yelled again, as another wave pushed him underneath. He sprang back up to the surface, gasping more, pain fizzling steady and heavily through his whole body, but he wasnt going to let his physical limitations get in the way of finding skyelark.

"Jack? You need to come back now" Another voice was now talking to him. He recognized this voice, and looked around in horror almost, he was there too.

"Tony! Where are you!" He yelled out to him, looking for his best friend. 

"Please Jack, Your worrying us" It was michelle this time. What do they mean that I was worrying them? Jack thought to himself, as another tidal wave crashed down on him, keeping him down.

"Skyelark..." He mumbled through the water, as his body started to go limp, the darkness and pressure was finally beating him.

"No jack...pleaseee" Skyelark called out. Jack tried to fight against the darkness but it had him trapped, he couldnt move, he wasnt dead yet, no, there was more, he was just trapped in the darkness. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Skyelark had been sitting by Jacks' side for the last 2 days, holding his hand. There had been no change yet in his condition, which was good and bad at the same time. He started to show some distress on his face by her talking.

"Relax" She said soothingly putting her other hand on his head, stroking his hair. This seemed to help a little, as his unconcious form relaxed again. Tony and Michelle were standing behind them, all 3 of them were talking to him, coaching him to wake up.

"You should just talk to him as if he were awake...he will wake up in his own good time" Dr. Peterson said behind them, startling them slightly.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack was laying on the beach, stillness was the word to describe his form. His chest rose and fell slowly, as he started to come around. His slow steady breathing radically changed from that to harsh and quick. He coughed some water out as he winced in pain, feeling the sand on the side of his face. He slowly got his bearings and pushed himself up into a crawling up position, coughing more water up violently. The moon light shone on his back, making his skin even more pale then it already was, the pain jolted through his body with every breathe, he could barely stay on his hands and knees.

He then saw a pair of feet step to infront of him. He got a very unnerved feeling about the presense infront of him, sensing who it was but not wanting to look up. It wasnt possible, or maybe it was and he was dead or something. Finally he glanced up, just staring at the face, glaring down at him with a metal bat in his hands. He tried to calm his breathing down to hide the evident fear that emgulped him at the very moment.

"Look at yourself...Pitiful" The voice hissed bringing the bat up and swinging it down, hitting him in the back, forcing Jack to collide with the ground again, which a painful gasp.

"You dont deserve Skyelark..." The voice hissed again, jamming his foot into Jacks' ribs, making him yelp and roll over defensively covering his ribs with his hands, coughing violently as well.

"Stand up and Face me!" The voice yelled warningly bringing the metal bat up again. Jack looked at him in utter fear. He slowly scrambled to his knees but couldnt reach his feet.

"You cant stand up?" The voice asked. He then swung the bat straight into the side of Jacks' head, splattering blood everywhere at contact as well as making Jack fall over instantly, gasping in the intensity of the pain.

"You have done so much" The voice continued on with his anger. "Too Much, How many have you killed Jack? How many!" He yelled as he kicked Jack in the face, making him yelp again and rolling him onto his back.

"You Dont Deserve To Live after you have killed all those people!" The voice hissed bringing the bat down apon Jacks' adobmen, making Jack gag, slowly rolling onto his back, and vomitting onto the cool sand. Once he was done he shakingly wiped his mouth wincing in incredible pain. 

"I...I...sssavvveedd...morreee..." Jack couldnt even finish his defense, as the tears from the sobs of the physical pain and the pain itself was too much.

"Some of them didnt deserve to die Though! What about them? Werent you suppose to save them!" The voice yelled leaning down and grabbing Jacks' chin and hoisting him up onto his feet roughly so they could look eye to eye. Jack stared into his own eyes, as pain filtered through his body.

"What about them..." Himself infront of Jack whispered quietly in disgust. Jack did nothing but show the tears running fluently down his battered cheeks. The one with the bat, let go of the injuried Jack, stepping back a inch, then swung the bat hard into the other side of Jacks' head, a sickening crunch was heard as the bat connected with the injured Jacks' skull, making him turn around fully as he fell into the sand. It all went dark then.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been nearly 2 full weeks now, and Jacks' condition hadnt changed. He was still in this 'comatose' state as the doctors had explained to Skyelark, and basically they were forcing his body to keep doing enough activity to keep living. Skyelark had sat in his room for nearly a week straight, barely getting any sleep nor eating much. 

It finally took both Michelle and Tony to drag her away from the room and made her stay with them until she started eating and sleeping properly again. This plan still slightly backfired on Tony and Michelle. They had brought Skye to their house, to make her get some rest, but she refused. Some how she still managed to keep this insomnia act up, but they didnt want to make her take sleeping pills. That was their last resort. They finally managed to get her to sleep after making a deal that 1 of them would check on Jacks' condition a few times each day and she would stay away for awhile.

The doctors even found it odd that Jack hadnt regained conciousness yet though. By the end of the second week they had began to become much more concerned. They started to run brain function tests on his head, every now and then. His brain activity was of a person sleeping, having a nightmare. This had been the same result after periodic tests, the doctors were determined now to figure out what was going on with him. And to find an explanation of this strange case. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"He was only 20!" Jack slowly risen to his hands and knees again, coughing out blood.

"He was a father!" The other version of him slammed the sledge hammer onto his shoulder again, making him fall to the ground, screaming in agony.

"That child is now an orphan because of YOU!" The one with the sledgehammer continued to yell at him. Jack was sobbing as blood dripped off his broken body onto the sand, wishing for this hell to stop. He didnt know how to stop it. Between the physical and emotional pain that the one with the sledge hammer was inflicting, he was starting to slip away quickly.

"Iiii...mmm...sorryy..." Jack choked out, struggling to get on his hands again.

"Sorrys' not fucking good enough!" The sledge hammer slammed down on the same shoulder again, another agonized scream escaped Jacks' mouth as he went face first into the sand, gasping for air through the pain again.

"You dont deserve to live, Jack, you know it, I know it, so give up!" The one with the sledge hammer cursed in a softer tone again, then kicked Jack in the side, making Jack turn onto his side, moaning in pain.

"I...canttt..." Jack whimpered softly.

"Why not!" The one with the sledge hammer knelt down to face his brutalized self in the face. Darkness took Jack then.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Jack came around to find himself on soft grass, it was still dark out and he was slowly glancing around knowing the other one would not be far away.

"Welcome back" The one said nonchalantly as he approached the battered Jack laying out on the grass. The demented one had no weapons on him this time, Jack realized, as he moved towards him and knelt down to his face.

"We shall try this again now" He continued to talk calmly.

"All you have to do is tell me why you cant give up, thats all" The one had a hint of 'nice' in his tone now. Jack just stared at him, to weak to do anything else.

"Just tell me why, and the pain will stop!" The one continued, getting impatient quickly. 

"You deserve death, why cant you accept that?" The other one wrapped both his hands tightly around the battered Jacks' neck.

"This is your last chance" He hissed, pulling Jack forcefully to his feet, and off them. Jack shakingly moved his arms up to the other pair of hands around his throat, wrapping them around them, trying to loosen them in a patheic attempt.

"Answer me Jack" The one that kept Jack just slightly above the ground, just to the point where his toes were just barely touching the ground and starting to put more pressure, a more lethal pressure on Jacks' neck. Jack started to choke. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Skyelark had made it back to the hostipal after a week of staying at Tony and Michelles' house. They finally let her go back. She had just sat down there when Jack started to show signs of movement. She was excited, thinking he was coming around. She gripped his hand in a soft grip hovering over his face. His expression went from peaceful to one that contorted immense pain.

"Jack...come on, dont joke around with me..." Her smile faded by this movement, starting to slightly panic. His body started to tremble softly.

"Please, Jack, Stop" She whispered to him, as tears started to fall from her face. The trembling only increased, within seconds it was now shaking violently. Skyelark let go of his hand and rushed towards the doorframe.

"I Need A Doctor Here!" She yelled down the hall in pure panic and worry.

She then looked to Jack, who was shaking violently, even more so, she thought at least, since she ran from the door. A Doctor and several nurses moved in quickly, pushing Skyelark back towards the edge of the wall, politely as they instantly started to work on Jack.

One of the nurses then stepped back, and went to Skyelark.

"Miss you need to leave now" The nurse said to her, taking her arm and starting to lead her towards the door. Skyelark resisted, her eyes never leaving Jack.

"Whats wrong with him?" She said through her soft sobs.

"We will explain to you later, now please you need to leave, so we can work" The nurse pushed her out basically, and closed the door behind her. Skyelark turned around quickly and slammed her fists on the door of Jacks' room.

"I want to know whats wrong with him!" She screamed angerly through the door. No answer after several minutes. She gasped through her sobs, turning around closing her eyes and fully letting the tears run down her face without a care at the moment. She slammed her fists in anger of not knowing what was going on, on the wall opposite of the door. She felt her legs get weak as she overcome with her emotions, and broke down fully, finally. She slide down to on her knees, leaning against the wall, and crying without a care of who saw.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ms. Sason" One of the doctors' placed his hand on Skyelarks' shoulder. She jerked awake in the waiting room that she found herself in. She looked around quickly then yawned looking at the nurse. She had been sitting there for the last 5 hours straight, after being forced out of Jacks' room.

"How is he?" She mumbled, yawning again.

"Mr. Bauer, has suffered a very violent seizure. We arent sure what has caused it yet, but we were able to stop it. We ran a Cat scan on him that the results will come back for awhile. But oddly enough after we got him stable again, he regained conciousness. I figured you would like to see him now" The doctor smiled weakly.

"O thank god..." Aside from 'he regained conciousness' Skyelark heard nothing else. The doctor held out his hand to help her up. She smiled letting him pull her up slightly onto her feet, she was exhausted and it showed in her facial features. The doctor led her to Jacks' room.

"Just a few changes has happened now though. Since the seizure was so violent we had to restraint his wrists and ankles to the bed, assuming this is propably not the last of the seizures. And the tube in his mouth was removed, hes not talking to us though. He may to you..." The doctor explained as they reached his door. 

"Okay..." Skyelark wasnt really paying attention. She just wanted to see him.

The doctor pushed open the door for her, and she walked inside slowly. The doctor closed the door behind her, to leave them alone for awhile. Her eyes instantly fell apon Jacks' face. His eyes were open, staring back at her. Something was off though, she could read his emotions easily, like an open book. He was always able to hide his feelings extremely well, but not now. Also it was unnerving to see fear written all over him, he was afraid of something and it was showing easily. She smiled weakly at him and walked towards the bedside, taking up her former position again.

"Hey Jack..." She said, placing her hand on his hand. He tried to jerk his hand away but the soft restraints held it back, making it jerk backwards slightly. He looked at the restraints on his wrists, and gave them another good tug, but nothing happened. It was like he just noticed them himself. His breathing quickened in fear as he tugged more roughly on the restraints. 

"Jack...Stop" Skyelark said in concern. Jack adverted his attention from her completely and was focused on the restraints, and getting them off him.

"Jack Please Stop" Skyelark continued, standing up and grabbing his hands and forcing him to stop. Jack stopped looking at his wrists and looked up to Skyelark with pleading eyes, threatening to spill tears. Skyelark was taken back, she had never seen him so vulnerable, it was heartbreaking. Jack calmed down slightly. Skyelark let go of his hands and sat back down.


	2. Chapter 2

Five days passed uneventfully, Jack had started acting relatively normal again. He managed to talk his way out of the hostipal by the third day of being awake and not having any complications, and Skyelark took him home. She knew full well that he wasnt right though, something was still off, his 'normal' act was paying off on everyone else, throwing them off for the most part, but not Skyelark, nor Tony. Tony could see right through him as well.

Skyelark had literally moved into Jacks' house once he awoke, knowing that he would want to leave the hostipal soon, and that he should definitly not be alone by the first impression of when he woke up. She was determined to figure out why he was so off now and what had happened on that boat, and the 2 days that he was out at sea.

She opened the passenger door of her car for him. He quietly got in. He had gone quiet for the last hour or so after the doctors left him. Skyelark got into the drivers' seat and they were off.

"What do you want for dinner tonight?" Skyelark started off with a non-envasive question to get the conversation going. She glanced over to him. He was zoned out staring out of the window, obviously not paying attention to her. 

"Jack?" She called out his name a little louder, attempting to snap him out of it while she was driving. No response. There was a silence then.

"Okay fine be that way..." She huffed in fake irritation, hoping maybe he would snap out of it seeing her 'angry', which she wasnt really. Still no response. The rest of the drive back to the house was quiet.

She pulled into the driveway and got out. She got to the door, to realize Jack hadnt even exited the car yet. She looked back at the car, to see his head leaning against the window, he had fallen asleep. She smiled, 'maybe i should leave him...' a cruel-joke thought passed through her head. She quickly shook that thought away, half laughing at it, then walking back to the passenger side of the car. She smiled kneeling down to see into the window at eye-level and tapped on the window softly, just loud enough though.

Jack jerk awake, almost as if he were to stand, slammed his head into the roof of the car. He huffed in pain closing his eyes to block the pain out and grabbing his head with his hands. Skyelark slowly opened the door, trying not to startle him more.

"Sorry" She apologized softly, wrapping her arms around him as his hands dropped from his head. She heard him sniffle, he was crying. She sighed in concern pushing him forward so she could see his face and he could she hers. Tears ran slowly down his cheeks. Mixed emotions ran through his eyes; sorrow, anger, pain, and most of all Fear.

"Whats wrong?" She asked, caringly taking her hand and wiping the tears from his face.

He looked at her, searching her face in search of something almost. There was a few moments of silence, then he moved closer to her face, slowly. He then moved in fully, kissing her softly on the lips. She was suprised at first, but kissed back eventually after a few seconds. He wrapped his arms around her and held her while they kissed. Finally after a few moments, Skyelark unwillingly pulled back. Jack sighed heavily at the seize of the action. She smiled at his disappointment.

"We can do that later" She said, grabbing his hand and helping him out of the car.

"Alright..." He smiled at her as she lead him into his house.

"Ha finally! The silent one speaks!" Skyelark laughed as she pulled him inside to the living room. He sat down on the couch as she closed the front door.

"When did you move in?" He asked her, looking at all the random cardboard boxs about.

"Yesterday Tony helped me bring stuff over here while you were sleeping" Skyelark stated as she sat down next to him. "So what do you want for supper?" She asked him. There was a silence, as he contemplated the question. 

"Suprise me..." He smiled, kissing her on the cheek. She giggled.

"Alright mate" She said standing up and heading off into the kitchen, leaving Jack alone to his thoughts.

He sat there in silence, thinking. He then heard a noise from the hallway that went down to his bedroom. He looked down the dark hallway, raising an eyebrow. He then slowly stood up, being a bit stiff still from sitting in the hostipal bed for so long. He sauntered down into his bedroom to stop in the doorframe, gapping in awement.

There he was again. His other self, sitting on the bed, staring back at him. Jack shook his head closing his eyes and rubbing them, 'thats not possible, im awake!' he thought to himself, blinking his eyes a few times and then looking at himself again. 'shit...' he then thought as his eyes centered on what his other self was holding. It was the pocket knife that Jack had always kept in the top drawer of his night stand. Jack slowly came into the door, shutting it behind him as he stared at the other self. 

"Tried to run from me, Jack?" The other one stood up and walked towards him tauntingly. A cold shudder ran down Jacks' spine.

"Your not real..." Jack huffed, not realizing he had stopped breathing when he had saw what he saw. The one with the knife came closer, smiling evilly.

"Lets see about that" The one hissed as he drove the knife quickly into Jacks' stomach, just below anything vital. He gasped in pain, staring in fear at the one infront of him holding the knifes' handle as the rest of the blade disappeared into Jacks' abdomen.

"This is just a warning" The one with the knife twisted it in Jacks' body, making Jack yelp in pain, then slide to the floor with the knife still with him. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Skyelark had just started making some supper for them when she heard Jack move about to the bedroom. She thought maybe he just went to lay down, and shrugged it off. After a few minutes there was a yelp of pain, clearly his voice. She was instantly and deeply concerned as she dropped everything and ran to the bedroom, to see the door shut. She pushed on the door to find that she couldnt open it.

"Open the door Jack!" She cried, pounding on the door. No Response. Her concern only heightened as she pushed on the door more. Something was in its way, blocking her from getting in.

"Jack If You Can Here Me, Step away from the door if your near it! Im Kicking it in!" She yelled, hoping he heard her. She then waited a minute stepping backwards.

"1...2...3!" She counted to herself then she forcefully kicked the door open. Whatever was in its way slide to the wall, letting the door open fully. Skyelark literally sprinted in glancing around for Jack. She didnt see him. She ran into the bedroom, hoping to find him there but nothing still. She stopped in the doorframe after turning around as her eyes fell apon his prone form. Blood leaking out from his waistline, and a knife in there. His hands loosely wrapped around the handle. She ignored that fact at the moment and ran to him, kneeling down to him. He was still awake, fading into unconciousness though. He was trembling slightly, from shock.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jack!" She cried looking at the handle of the knife embedded in his stomach. She wrapped her fingers around it, knowing it had to come out, Jack gasped in pain as she fiddled with it. Without much hesitation she pulled it out swiftly making Jack grunt in pain again. She then looked to him again, he was still shaking, almost more then before now.

"We need to get you back to the hospital" Skyelark said, looking at the wound which was now being overflown by what seemed like alot of blood but really wasnt.

"No..." Jack huffed, trying to get his own mind under control, he slowly got onto his elbows, glancing down at the wound.

"Jack!" Skyelark hissed in concern. 'he needs to go to the hospital' she thought to herself with urgency.

"No!" Jack hissed in frustration. "Its not that bad...I dont need to go to the hospital" He laid down his foot on that subject. Skyelark looked at him for a second, before backing down from her position. Rarely did she win an arguement with him, especially with that expression he was giving her at the moment.

"Fine..." She sighed heavily, standing up. "Let me get some stuff for it at least..." She stormed off into the bathroom.

Jack sighed heavily, calming his trembling even more so it stopped, he winced as he stood up and shuffled over to the bed. He sat down on it closing his eyes, and putting his head into his hands. The wound wasnt his concern, it was the other version of himself that was his concern. How was this even possible? Was he losing it? Questions formed and ran around through his head at insane speeds.

Skyelark returned silently and repaired the physical damaged, and forced him to lay down.

"If you need anything, just yell alright? Dont scare me like that Again" She said to him, kissing his forehead then leaving him alone, to sleep. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

The room was dark. He was tied up to the cieling by his wrists, and his feet were no longer touching the ground. There was a dim light showing above his head, shadowing his face which was looking down at his now bare chest. 'am i dreaming now?' He thought to himself, wincing slightly as the other self approached him.

"You still have a chance to stop this, Jack, just answer my question" He said as he went back into the darkness and lit a fire that was near by. He picked up a metallic item then and held the end over the flame, letting it get nice and hot. Jack watched him intentively. 

"Do you care to tell me now?" He said as the metal got bright orange then he moved towards Jack's form again, the metal item was a crowbar.

"I cant!" Jack said fearfully as the crowbar got closer to him. The other jack sighed heavily, then brought the crowbar up above his head. And closed his eyes in almost pity, he then forcefully slammed the orange end of the crowbar down onto Jacks' shoulder. Making Jack scream in agony as the hot metal pressed hard and fast into his skin instantly creating 3rd degree burns on his shoulder and destroying alot of the muscle there as well. The one holding it held it there for a second, half enjoying the agony that he was putting his 'weaker', as he saw it, through. 

Jack gasped in agony, trying to keep breathing through his gasps of breathe.

"Tell me Jack and this can stop!" The one with the crowbar was re-heating it to bright orange, almost pleading with his other self. No response from Jack though, he was too emgulped with his own anguish right now to answer anything. 

After a minute the other one returned with the re-heated crowbar. Jack looked up at him sobbing, as he broke out into a cold sweat, staring fearfully at him.

"I will force the information out of you the easy way or the hard way jack, what do you want?" The one said, holding the crowbar up, preparing to strike again. Jack had actually stopped breathing in knowing he was in the wake of something truely painful that awaited him. The one with the crowbar waited a second for Jacks' answer, but it didnt come. 

"Okay.." He sighed then in one swift movement brought the crowbar hard into the side of Jacks' head, hitting his left eye almost directly on its side. He let out a torturious scream of extreme agunish as he literally felt his eyeball and side of his face burn be on recognizableness, as his head jerked violently to the left. Thankfully for him the darkness took him after a few everlasting seconds of this agony.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack woke up on the floor by his bed, in a cold sweat. He managed not to make a sound as he slowly stumbled to his feet in the darkness. He saw Skyelark's prone sleeping form on the other side of the bed, seemingly not noticing he was awake. He then made his way to the bathroom, flipping the light on and closing the door behind him, so he wouldnt wake Skyelark. He turned on the water in the sink and let it run cold water as he rested his elbows on the counter, rubbing his forehead slightly, not looking at the mirror. He put his hands under the cold water and splashed some water on his face. The water felt good and painful at the same time. The side of his face throbbed from where he remembered the crowbar had hit him, but he figured that was a dream of which he was awake now. And this pain was in his head.

Finally he glanced up, to see that the left upper portion of his face was black and blue, purple as well. It was bruised badly, and his eye was almost swollen shut. He looked in awement, then he remembered about his shoulder, that was the other target area which was hit with the crowbar. He lowered the one side of his shirt enough to see the same hellish looking bruises on his shoulder. He sighed heavily.

'im losing it...how is that possible?...I Was dreaming!' He thought to himself, looking at the mirror again. He then saw the other version of himself behind him, just staring. Jack said nothing just stood up a little more, glaring into the mirror back at the other version of himself.

"You think you were dreaming?" The other one smirked.

"I was dreaming" Jack hissed.

"How do you explain those bruises then?" The other one asked, knowing full well that Jack couldnt answer. There was a silence.

"Leave me alone" Jack whispered in a low tone.

"Not until I get what I want" The other one answered.

"I cant give you what you want" Jack answered back making his anger cover the cowering fear that is rising quicker then ever now.

"Your Smart, You can Find a way" The other one said, resting his hands on Jacks' shoulders, making Jack wince a bit by the touching of the bruise on the one shoulder.

"You cant get away from me" The other one whispered in his ear. He then pushed Jack forward hard enough for his head to collide with the mirror, and shatter it. Jack cried in pain letting his head drop willingly as the glass fell as well. Jack laid his head gently as he could on the counter, letting his knees buckle from under him. Blood leaked from his cuts on his forehead from colliding with the mirror.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Skyelark jerked awake hearing the yelp of pain coming from the bathroom companied by the sound of shattering glass. She looked around to see, the bathroom door was shut, but the light was on in there. She walked up to it cautiously in the dark, and knocked on the door.

"Jack? Sweetie, what was that?" She called through the door slightly concerned. "Are you alright?" She added.

"Yes, Skyelark Im fine, the mirror dropped and broke when i was trying to clean it" Jack lied.

Skyelark didnt really buy his answer and put her hand on the door to open it. "Im coming in" She announced to him. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"No Dont, Skye, I dont want you to cut yourself on the glass" Jack tried to stop her, but she twisted the door knob and opened it anyways. He turned around, seeing the other one was watching with amusement at his sudden movements. Jack ignored him for the time being and took a towel, pressing it to his face, to take off some of the extra blood that was flowing slowly down his face.

"O my god!" She said seeing his blood smeared all over the counter, and some of the glass shards.

"Its not that bad" Jack said, turning to face her.

"What the Fuck! Jack, look at yourself, and tell me its not that bad. It is that bad!" Skyelark lashed out.

"What the fuck are you doing to yourself! and why!" She asked in hysterical concern for him. No Response from Jack.

"Answer me Jack! And it better be a fucking good answer!" She hissed at him, now angered by his lack of response.

"You wouldn't believe me.." Jack whispered silently. The other one standing behind him was whispering in his ear, 'go on tell her, tell her and go to the psyche ward. Thats were youll end up, then youll be all mine...' The other was saying.

"Try me Jack!" She yelled at him, dragging him out of the bathroom and turning on the bedroom light as well. She was determined to get answers from him. No response from Jack. 

"Fucking Hell Jack! Why arent you talking to me anymore!" She yelled at him more. He just stood there silenced. 'are you going to let her keep talking to you like that...' The other jack whispered into his ear.

"Why arent you talking to me anymore?" Skye was so angry and concerned about the lack of response she was getting from him that she started to cry.

'ive had enough of this...' The other one whispered into his ear, then moved infront of him. Preparing to strike her. He got about a few inchs away from her face when Jack stopped him, grabbing his wrists and holding him back as long as he could. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Skyelark was trying to get some answers from him, trying to get him to talk from when out of no where, his eyes changed from fear and sorrow to anger and ... evil. He then almost punched her in the face, he stopped himself with what looked like some resistance a few inches away from her face. She stared at him with wide eyes as more tears fell. She could read his face, the conflict was there. Definitly, alot of conflict. His whole arm was shaking now as the fist of his hand was just staying still.

"Get away!" He huffed in a hoarse voice. Tears running fluently down his bloodied face.

"Now!" He yelled at her now with much urgency.

"Whats wrong Jack?" She said after a momentary silence of shocking awement of the situation.

"Listen to me Now!" He yelled again, as he started to shake more. His knees buckled and his arm dropped away from his face. He dropped to his hands gasping as if he couldnt breathe as he started to shake more.

"Jack..." Skyelark knelt down to him, ignoring his order. She placed her hand on his back, feeling the clammyness and sweat that layered it thickly. He then dropped to the floor, not being able to stay concious anymore, but the shaking continued. It got even more violent. Finally Skyelark scrambled to her feet grabbing the phone, and dialed '911'. She then knelt down to the seizuring Jack, and tried to hold him down so he wouldnt hurt himself further.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Skyelark sat silently in the waiting room, biting her nails, waiting impatiently for the doctors to come out and tell her what was going on with Jack. She had been sitting there three hours now since they brought Jack in on the ambulence.

'i cant wait any longer...' She thought to herself, standing up and waiting over to the service desk.

"Can I get help here?" She pounded on the desk slightly maniacaly. 

"Yes, Ma'am" A old female nurse came into her view. 

"My friend was brought in here three hours ago, and I have yet to get any word on his condition yet, are they almost done?" She asked.

"What is the name of your friend ma'am?" She asked.

"Jack Bauer" She answered impatiently. 

"One moment ma'am" The old nurse disappeared again. 'Hopefully to get me answers...' Skyelark thought as she stood there. The waiting room and emergency room in general were rather quiet. But then again it was almost 5 am in the morning.

A Male doctor about Skyelarks' age came towards Skyelark and introduced himself. 

"Hello, Im Dr. Jackson, I was the doctor working on Mr. Bauer while he was here in the emergency room." Dr. Jackson started.

"'while he was here?' what does that mean? Where have you taken him!" Skyelark was on edge, and it could easily be picked out by anyone.

"Calm Down, Miss. Hes up in the psycheatric, resting" Dr. Jackson replied. 

"Okay...Wheres psycheatric?" Skyelark asked quickly.

"A level up, the doctors up there should have his charts" Dr. Jackson said. Before he could finish his sentence, Skyelark had left already, hurrying over to the elevator, pressing the 'up' button several times. It was taking too long for her, when she glanced around and saw the staircase. She totally x-ed out the elevator idea then, and went up the steps.

She got to the next level pretty quickly for her tired state of being, and found the first nurse she saw and stopped her.

"Excuse me, Im looking for the room where Jack Bauer is?" She asked politely. 

"Hes in the 3rd room on the right down that hallway" The nurse pointed out.

"Thank you" Skyelark answered and went quickly off in that directly.

She stopped at the door, taking a few deep breathes to catch her own breathe from all that sudden running around. She pushed on the door and opened it slowly, easing inside. She sighed heavily, looking apon Jacks' prone figure. He was sleeping now, and had a some bandages covering his head. There was a blanket covering his chest and down. His wrists though had soft restraints on them, along with his ankles. He had a few machines around him, but not as many as the time before.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that morning Tony and Michelle stopped by. Skyelark had been sitting, off in her own little world, in a chair next to Jack. Who of which was still sleeping. He had awoken an hour after Skyelark at entered the room, but he wasnt right. Skyelark knew this instantly, his voice, tone, and gestures had totally changed. He was aggressive, angered, and if it werent for the restraints he would have hit or even tried to kill Skyelark. The secruity guards and doctors had to come in and sedate him. Skyelark had finally got the full explanation of his condition then from the doctors.

Michelle and Tony knocked on the door, bringing Skyelark back to reality. She stood up shakingly, still in utter shock by what Jack was like before. She opened the door and let herself out and closed it facing Tony and Michelle. 

"Hey" Tony said softly, giving her a friendly-comforting hug. When she had called them, only thing she said was that Jack had a seizure, and she sounded very shaken up by it, he didnt know everything else yet.

"How is he?" Michelle asked.

"Good..." Skyelark mumbled quietly as Tony backed up.

"Do they know what caused the seizure?" He asked.

"Yes..." Skyelark started, pausing slightly, not wanting to say it herself, that would make the whole deal even more concrete in her head. She knew if she said it, she would be forced to believe it, though she didnt want to.

"He's ill, the doctors tell me...He has ...schizophrenia. He apparently has had it for awhile now, and been untreated until now. They think he didnt know at all, propably still doesnt, and they will explain it to him when the sedation wears off. They said this was a 'mental' breakdown. They explained it to me as if he just snapped, something pushed him too far, and the 'voices' in his head basically took over his actions...They want to put him in a mental institution until they can gain control of the illness with medication, and teach him how to deal with it properly..." Skyelark explained, with pauses a few times. Shes still settle this, pretty big obstacle, with herself. Wondering if she should stay with him, and if she could handle it. He did try to attack her twice, last night alone. This was going to be a rough ride. She knew in the end she would stay with him, hoping that the real jack would be with her at most times, when they would finally release him from the mental institute, if they do. 'he will get better...' she thought to herself.

"O! my god..." Michelle gasped, putting her hands over her mouth in shock.

"How could they not pick up on this earlier, like years ago!" Tony hissed, angry that they were just finding out this 'small' defect with Jack now.

"I guess...he was good at hiding it?" Skyelark said aloud, not really knowing herself.

"Did they tell you how long he would be at the mental institute?" Michelle asked.

"They told me anywhere from 6 months, to the rest of his life..." She sighed, as silent tears ran down her eyes.

"O my god..." Michelle gasped again. 

"Has anyone called Kim yet?" Tony asked then. 

"The doctors did for me I guess...She will be here later today with Chase..." Skyelark mumbled, rubbing the tears away from her face again.

"He will get better..." Tony said finally, realizing how much this really was impacting her, and drew her in for another comforting hug.

"Yea, I mean hes Jack, for crying out loud..." Michelle smiled weakly.

"I hope your right..." Skyelark mumbled.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Dad" Kim entered the room, followed by Chase and Skyelark. Jack was sitting up in the bed, staring blankly at another wall. Sorrow and guilt was clearly written on his face.

"Dad?" She called out again after no response. Jack slowly turned his head towards her, more sorrow, guilt, and now fear entered his expression. 

"Hi..." He mumbled to the group, looking down at the sheet covering his lap. Kim came over and hugged him, only to realize he was trembling.

"Don't touch me..." He hissed quietly pulled away from her grasp.

"Dad?" Kim asked confusingly, pulling back.

"Stay away from me" Jack looked at her in a half glare, trying to scare her away. He didnt want her around when the other tried to appear, god knows what would happen if that.

"But Dad...Im worried about you. They are taking you to a mental institution tomorrow. I want to make sure youll be alright..." Kim sniffled, on the verge of crying. 

"I dont want you to see me like this, Kim" He said flat out then. Chase stepped in then, grabbing Kim and pulling her into a hug. Jack sighed heavily, he absolutely hated doing this, but hed hate himself even more if the other hurt her. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Skyelark had came home that night, crying again. She had been getting sick to her stomach, nearly every day since Jack had vanished. Mainly in the mornings. She hadnt been really paying attention to her own body at the time. And not until now, she realized she had missed her monthly visit. She looked at the calender absentmindedly, she clearly missed it. She then gasped at the realization of what it was. And to make sure, she immediatly got into the car, and went to the nearest conventient store and bought a test. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

She sat there on the toilet, staring at the test. It was positive, she began to cry, thinking about it. How was she going to tell him? How was she going to tell him that he is going to be a father again? Will he be able to be a parent with this illness? All these questions ran through her mind as tears spilled. The road just got ten times tougher. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

She showed up early that morning, hoping that the normal Jack would be awake and ready to talk to her before he was transfered to the facility where he would spend at least the next 6 months at. 

"Hey Honey" He smiled as she came into the room, he was still bound to the bed. 'good hes normal today...' She thought to herself as she walked over to him and hugged him, and he kissed her on the neck affectionately.

"I have something to tell you" She whispered in his ear, then pulled back sitting down. 

"What?" He asked confusingly. She paused for a second, looking down at her hands.

"What?" He asked again, concern laced his tone this time.

"I am...pregnant" She basically blurted out. She didnt look at his reaction, just stared at her hands. There was a long silence.

"And the father is?" He asked, knowing the answer.

"Its you Jack..." She almost hissed, as if he shouldnt have to ask that question even. There was another long ackward silence. 

"Thats...great" He said in a sigh.

"Really?" She looked up reading his reactions now. There was a mix of guilt, sorrow, and happyness there, it was hard to pin point what was 

"Yea..." He whispered. She came close again to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"This is even more of a motive for you to get better, honey...I love you" She kissed the back of his neck.

THE END...


End file.
